Cautious welcome for NI unemployment figures

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 12th Oct 2005

North Down Alliance Councillor Ian James Parsley has given a cautious welcome to news that employment levels in Northern Ireland are the highest on record.

Cllr Parsley, himself a local businessman, stated: "Stable economic growth is the foundation for a stable political process. In this context, the fact that unemployment in Northern Ireland is now lower than in Great Britain, and that economic growth is outpacing the rest of the UK in key sectors, is good news for everyone.

"However, there are many graduates across Northern Ireland, and their families, who will wonder if these figures are for real. We are still struggling to create the type of challenging employment that keep our best-qualified people at home. The 'brain drain' is alive and well, including for many people who are reluctant to leave Northern Ireland but are forced to due to lack of appropriate employment here.

"We cannot continue to ignore the fundamental weaknesses of our economy. Northern Ireland still has far too many people depending on benefit rather than in employment, too many people in jobs dependent on state funding, and too many people working in declining industries. In fact, the decrease in unemployment in Northern Ireland in the last 20 years can be attributed entirely to the increase in people living off benefits rather than any net increase in employment. Wide-scale quality employment is still a long way off.

"What we need is far more emphasis on development of the private sector and the social economy - not just in theory, but also in practice; not just encouraging business start-ups, but encouraging people to work in existing, indigenous private-sector companies to improve their skills.

"Politicians need to act responsibly to ensure these figures are for real, not just a façade. There is no doubt we can do it, but only if we pay proper attention to our economy, which needs to create a further 120,000 jobs in the next decade to keep pace with the rest of the UK and Ireland."

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The NI unemployment level now stands, by the standard ILO definition, at 4.6%. This compares favourably with the UK average (4.7%) and the EU average (8.6%), and is the joint lowest rate on record. 758,000 people are recorded as in employment in Northern Ireland - the highest figure ever.

Further info at www.detini.gov.uk.